Ex-Huntingdon All-American golfer won't play Barbasol

Joe Durant of Pensacola, Florida waits to play his tee shot on the third hole during the 2012 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying at Germantown Country Club in Memphis, Tenn. on Tuesday June 5, 2012. (Copyright USGA/Joe Murphy)(Photo: USGA Museum)

The PGA Tour is finally coming to Alabama, but one of the state's most successful players won't be able to make the occasion.

Joe Durant, a three-time All-American and member of Huntingdon's 1987 NAIA Championship team, said he plans to withdraw from 2015 Barbasol Championship to rest for upcoming Champions Tour events.

"The Senior British Open is the week after and I would've ended up playing four tournaments in a row if I played the Barbasol," Durant said. "It just didn't work out. Hopefully it will next year."

While he's disappointed to miss out on the Barbasol, Durant thinks the break will help him in his next big challenge: The Senior British Open.

Considering he missed his first cut of the season last time out at the U.S. Senior Open, one could hardly blame him.

"I played like a pig at the U.S. Senior Open," Durant said. "It may have been residue from finishing second and third the two weeks before. I think I was just on fumes."

Durant has focused almost exclusively on the Champions Tour this year, where he currently sits fourth on the money list. In his first full-time season on the Tour, Durant has three top-5 finishes, including a win in the two-man Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf tournament.

A native of Florida, Durant has come a long way from his days in Flowers Memorial Hall, but he said he'll never forget the "perfect situation" that kick-started his professional golf career.

"None of us were too highly recruited," Durant said. "Maybe a few JUCO offers, but it was a situation with a bunch of guys who loved playing golf together. A lot of success came from that."

Bringing that group of under-the-radar players together was head coach Steve Condon, who Durant said helped him unlock his potential.

"I was very fortunate to play for a coach at Huntingdon that had some faith in me and saw potential," Durant said. "We played against the very best, so once I got out of college I knew where I stood."

Durant has not had the chance to visit Huntingdon in several years and only visits Montgomery passingly, so he's hoping to plan a team reunion with former teammate Dave Schreyer, who currently serves as the Hawks' director of golf.

As he transitions into a Champions Tour-heavy schedule, Durant said he feels "fortunate" for such a lengthy career and thinks his time on the Tour still benefits him today.

"I think if you get to being 45 and you're not playing a lot of golf, I think it can be hard to pick back up and get competitive again," Durant said. "I stayed in pretty good shape and was eager to keep playing."